


The Gift

by mrs_leary (julie)



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-24
Updated: 2011-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-27 23:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/301160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julie/pseuds/mrs_leary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bradley's really nervous about one particular present he's received from Colin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my darling **babydracky** for her [Merlin Advent Calendar](http://babydracky.livejournal.com/323617.html) on LiveJournal. ♥
> 
> I offered to write Bradley/Colin, and babydracky provided the following image as a prompt.

♦

‘And last but not least,’ Colin said with forced cheer, ‘erm… there’s this…’ He stepped out from behind the tree with a square gold gift box in his hands; the box had a bright red lid tied on by an extravagant gold bow. Colin proffered the thing in the general direction of where Bradley sat cross–legged on the floor – but Colin stalled a bit too far away, and he didn’t look _bashful_ as such but his gaze had dropped heavily away.

In a few days it would be their fourth Christmas as friends, and their first as lovers. They’d never even exchanged presents before – not _real_ ones, cos they’d agreed they were such good friends they didn’t need to. But the pressure was on now. Plus, this first gifting was made all the more difficult by happening early. They were each going home to their families for Christmas, they were parting ways and heading for Devon and Armagh, and they’d decided they wouldn’t unwrap anything until The Day Itself. Which made all of this a bit anxious, a bit lame. Miraculously, they seemed to have each bought the other three gifts, which was mildly promising in its equivalency. But Bradley wouldn’t know until he finally got The Phone Call on the twenty-fifth just how badly he’d misjudged the sentiment, the style, the substance. It was making the whole festive season totally nerve–wracking.

‘Here, then.’ Colin at last took another step forward, and for a moment Bradley thought he’d just let the gift fall to the floor if Bradley didn’t take it – so he reached up and did so. It was really rather light, given the size of the thing.

Bradley held it in both outstretched hands, just as ambivalently as Colin had. A silence grew, until Bradley finally confessed, ‘I kind of know what this is.’

‘You do?’ Colin sounded madly relieved.

‘Yeah. And I’m _not_ opening it in front of my family, Morgan.’

‘What?’

‘I have to say, I’m a bit disappointed. I wasn’t expecting a prank like this for our first Christmas together. Our first Christmas as _friends_ maybe, but not –’

Colin was simply looking confused now, all patently false innocence in the pure white jumper his mum had sent him. ‘A prank like… what?’

‘I saw where you bought this, yeah? You came out of that fancy lingerie shop with it. I remember, cos I was juggling the Starbucks cups and you were juggling boxes, and you were looking a bit pink round the cheekbones…’

The pinkness promptly returned. Colin Morgan could really be the most _endearing_ creature.

‘So if your wicked plan involved me unwrapping some kinky lingerie in front of my family, I’m just gonna have to thwart you, Col.’

‘Oh. _Oh!’_ The light dawned. ‘No, it’s not for you.’

Bradley’s stomach plummeted. ‘It’s not?’

‘No, it’s for your mum.’

Bradley just stared at him.

‘It can be from both of us, if you like.’ A long moment dragged past, in which the pinkness became redness and spread back towards those nibblesome ears. ‘Or not.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Bradley deadpanned just as soon as he was able. ‘You bought kinky lingerie _for my mother_ …?!’

‘Oh for God’s sake,’ Colin grumbled. He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and glared, though he still couldn’t quite meet Bradley’s gaze. ‘It’s not _kinky_. It’s not even _sexy_. God, what do you think I am?!’

‘Um… I’m not really sure _what_ to think right now.’

‘It’s for when… for when she goes into hospital in the new year, yeah? It’s just a nice cotton nightie, and a matching dressing gown.’

‘Oh.’ Bradley brought the gift box in closer, let it settle gently in his lap.

‘All very proper! It’s, erm… _modest_. White cotton with bluebells on it –’ Colin flapped a hand across the top of his chest, perhaps indicating the location of the said bluebells. ‘It’s just so she’ll feel – pretty.’

Bradley was gaping by now. ‘How do you even _think_ of these things? I was just gonna send flowers.’

‘Flowers are good,’ Colin said with a vigorous nod. ‘She’ll like flowers, too. But I guess – Well, you can blame my mum. Being a nurse, and all. I know your mum’s only going in for a couple of nights, and it’s a minor thing, but it’s still scary, right? So you try to make them feel a bit special. Remind them that people are thinking about them. Help them feel they’re at their best.’ He shrugged helplessly. ‘That’s all.’

‘I get it.’

‘I’ll take it back. It’s inappropriate. We can just send flowers –’

‘No!’ Bradley wound both arms protectively around the gift box, determined now to never let it out of his sight until it was safely delivered.

‘You could open it up and take a look, see if you think she’ll like it, but I dunno that I’d ever manage to tie that bow again. Not nice like that…’

Colin was so woebegone now that Bradley surged to his feet and stepped up to face him, shifting the gift box under one arm so he could wind his other arm around the man’s waist. ‘No. It’s fantastic. I want to go give it to her right now.’

‘Yeah, you do?’ Colin mumbled a bit sheepishly.

‘Except I have to tell you something first. I have to say it now, cos my mum’s gonna be stealing my phone to say it to you on Christmas Day, and if she gets in first I’ll have to challenge her to a duel or something. Could get messy.’

‘Yeah…?’ Colin’s cheekbones were flushed pink again, but this time he was smiling, too.

‘Yeah. Yeah, so I have to tell you that I love you, right? Cos otherwise she’ll –’

Colin pushed in closer to rest their foreheads together. ‘Love you, too, Bradley.’

‘I know you do,’ Bradley said. ‘Oh Col, I know you do.’ He hefted the gift box for a moment to indicate its significance: _‘I can tell.’_

A happy little breath puffed from Colin’s delicious lips – and Bradley kissed the man.

♦


End file.
